Zuko Komisa
- Businessman Tshepo Khoza was sentenced to six years (two suspended) for tax fraud after failing to declare R3.6 million in income from SAPS tenders and falsely claiming his company was dormant.
- The conviction, stemming from Project Blue Lights, included three fraud counts (one Schedule 5 serious crime) and a VAT violation, with tenders linked to his family connection to a senior SAPS official.
- SARS confirmed it will relentlessly pursue tax criminals, stating that tax fraud is theft from the national fiscus, undermining essential government services for millions of South Africans.
Businessman Tshepo Khoza has been sentenced to six years imprisonment, with two years suspended, following his conviction for extensive tax fraud.
The conviction, resulting from the Project Blue Lights investigation, found that Khoza’s company, Grey Apple Trading Enterprise, failed to declare approximately R3.6 million earned from SAPS tenders between 2015 and 2018.
Khoza falsely declared the company as dormant and failed to register for VAT, resulting in guilty verdicts on three counts of fraud (one Schedule 5 serious crime) and one count of contravening the Tax Administration Act.
The investigation revealed that the tenders were secured through Khoza’s family relationship with a senior SAPS official, connecting the tax fraud directly to public procurement corruption.
The separate corruption trial where Khoza is charged with others is scheduled to resume on 22 February 2026.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter emphasized that “Tax fraud is not a victimless crime,” highlighting that it constitutes theft from the national fiscus, harming millions of South Africans dependent on government services.
The successful prosecution underscores the unswerving commitment of SARS and the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to relentlessly pursue tax criminals and uphold fiscal integrity.
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